


Kazukibou shorts

by Capnii



Series: Kazukibou [15]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 18:08:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17688314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Capnii/pseuds/Capnii
Summary: A collection of Kazukibou short stories not long enough or important to be their own one-shot. This is a next generation AU for Danganronpa, Super Danganronpa 2, and Danganronpa 3.





	1. Flesh and Blood

No matter how many she walked through, dark alleyways felt intimidating. Kyoko Kirigiri was pursuing a wanted criminal who of course ran into the shadows to hide from Kyoko’s sharp, violet eyes. The problem when it came to an alleyway was the occasional twist and turns that only a dog could navigate with its impressive nose. Kyoko may have been one of Japan’s finest detectives, but she was still human. She had reached a point where the path split into two. If she were alone, she’d have to pick either left or right. 

 

By her side was her son, Kazuki. Like his mother, Kazuki was one of the country’s finest detectives. The two were seen as an inseparable and unstoppable duo. Criminals prayed Kyoko and Kazuki wouldn’t take up their case. The mother and son didn’t need to say a single word to one another before they split down the different paths. Kazuki went left, and Kyoko right. As she investigated her alley, she couldn’t help the pride that burned inside her heart. She was happy to know she could trust her only son with the task of apprehending a criminal. 

 

Kyoko reached the end of her alley. The suspect wasn’t anywhere to be found. They must have gone to the left where Kazuki was investigating. Kazuki would be fine, Kyoko thought as she walked, almost leisurely, to meet up with her son and the apprehended criminal. However, when she reached that fork in the alleyway, Kazuki was nowhere to be seen. Kyoko felt a lump in her stomach. Kazuki should have been back by now. Instinctively, she bolted to find her son. 

 

Not too far along the alley, Kyoko found Kazuki on his knees and hunched over. She called out his name. Ominously, Kazuki turned his head to face Kyoko. Her knees almost gave out as she saw the blood drain out of her son’s mouth as he smiled at her. Kyoko almost tripped on her heels as she made a mad dash to Kazuki’s side. Alongside the blood that ran out of his mouth, his clothes were stained dark red. Kazuki clutched his chest to hide his wound, but Kyoko could see the blood gushing out from between his fingers. 

 

Kyoko screamed her son’s name. She held her teenage son in her arms as she repeatedly told him that he needed to live. No matter how many times she tried to compress Kazuki’s wounds, more of his body would open up. Over and over Kyoko said to Kazuki to not lose hope. Yet slowly and agonizingly, Kazuki’s body grew colder. It wasn’t long until he finally went limp.

 

Kyoko’s eyes shot wide open. She could barely make out her environment from the scarce moonlight that shone throw the window. Her breathing was erratic as she looked around to find she was in her bedroom. Kyoko turned and saw her husband sleeping peacefully next to her. Her hands trembled when she reminded herself what had just happened was a nightmare. Kazuki was not dead; he was sleeping peacefully in his room. 

 

...Was he? Kyoko threw the blankets off her and marched to her son’s room. The only thing on her mind when she swung his door open was the gruesome image of him from her dream. As suspected, there he was in his bed. His own blankets covered up to his neck, which Kyoko could see rise and fall with the rhythm of Kazuki’s breathing. Cautiously, Kyoko walked towards her sleeping son. 

 

There wasn’t a drop of blood anywhere on him. There weren’t any gunshot wounds, and his skin wasn’t slashed open. The teenage boy slept in peace, unaware of his mother’s fears. With trembling hands, Kyoko reached out and ran her fingers through Kazuki’s dark, messy hair. She sat down at the edge of his bed and continued to pet him to calm herself down. As if on cue, Kazuki turned his body and clung to his mother. Kyoko let out a sigh. She couldn’t believe Kazuki still had his habit of clinging to anything and anyone in his sleep. That was just one of the quirks that made Kazuki himself. 

 

Repeatedly Kyoko told herself Kazuki was alive, and Kazuki was okay. His slow breathing and the beating of his heart was all the proof she needed. If that wasn’t enough, she was there to protect him. She may not have been able to sleep for the rest of the night, but as long as her son was safe, that’s all that mattered to her. 


	2. Jun'ichi Maizono

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Background story of Jun'ichi Maizono, a distant relative of Sayaka Maizono. This is how he rose to fame.

Kazukibou: Jun’ichi Maizono

 

When I was little, my mother told me I could be anything I wanted to be. For me, the sky wasn’t the limit. I could have been an astronaut, a doctor, or even a teacher. I was one of the lucky kids who knew what they wanted to grow up to be. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a star. I wanted to have cameras pointed at me while I danced my way to the stage. I wanted to be in the television shows I grew up watching. If I were really lucky, I thought I could sing the theme songs to my favorite shows. 

 

I told my mother about my dream to become famous, and with a smile she said she’d do everything in her power to make my dream come true. She sent applications to the best of the best acting schools in Japan. She only wanted the best for her son. It didn’t matter if she had to take up multiple jobs to pay my tuition, or if we would have to move to the other side of the country. 

 

Growing up, I was an optimistic kid who didn’t understand what no meant. My mother must have been the same, because she started to snap after I was rejected from two acting schools. I remember her saying everything would be okay, but she didn’t believe me. She wouldn’t let another school reject her perfect baby boy. When she applied me for the third acting school, she marched me and herself to the headmaster’s office to hand deliver the application. I remember the headmaster looking rather skeptical at my mother’s twisted face. 

 

“Don’t you realize who you’d be rejecting?” my mother asked the headmaster. My son is Jun’ichi  _ Maizono _ . He is related to the legendary Sayaka Maizono. One look and you can tell how much he looks like her.” 

 

The headmaster looked down at my small baby face. I had no idea who this Sayaka Maizono was, or how she was related to me. “I do see a strong resemblance,” the headmaster replied.

 

“Are you seriously telling me you would even consider rejecting a Maizono? Singing, dancing, acting, and even modeling is in his blood!”

 

The headmaster looked at my mother, puzzled. “What is your relation to Sayaka Maizono?”

 

“I’m her younger sister,” my mom said quickly. It wouldn’t be until I was a teenager that I learned my mother was lying. Sayaka Maizono didn’t have any siblings. 

 

“Well, I’ll take this into consideration while I look over your son’s application-”

 

“I will not leave this room until you tell me my son is accepted into your academy.”

 

I started school that following semester. By then, my mother had ingrained the thought of just how special I was. I was a Maizono. Being a Maizono meant I was destined to for greatness. I believed her for the longest time. Acting came easily to me, and singing lessons were barely lessons at all. I couldn’t wait until I could become a real star. School had taught me about auditioning and how to land a job as an actor. 

 

Much like acting school, I found myself not getting any roles in shows, movies, or even stage plays. My teachers all said rejection was common, but according to my mother, I was not common. I was not some ordinary kid. I was a Maizono. Being famous was in my blood. I thought perhaps I should use my name to my advantage. 

 

During my auditions, I continuously reminded everyone how I was the cousin to Sayaka Maizono. I began to study up on just what kind of person she was, and how she presented herself on stage. I picked up her mannerisms, and I made sure to know as much as I could about her, as if I were a crazed fan. Perhaps I knew more about Sayaka Maizono than I knew about myself. In the end it didn’t matter. Being related to Sayaka is what landed me acting gigs. My name was getting out there, and I was becoming a star.

 

In the end, I had to pay the price for my lies and deception. As my name became well-known throughout the country, so did my relation to Sayaka Maizono. I started attending more interviews, and I quickly learned everyone was more interested in Sayaka compared to me. I would be asked what it felt to be related to her, and if she was my inspiration for becoming an idol. There had been rumors of me attending Hope’s Peak Academy, and if I had any resentment towards Makoto Naegi. I didn’t want to hear anymore about Sayaka. I wanted to talk about me.

 

No matter how hard I tried, the world seemed more interested in a dead idol than a live one. Unfortunately riding on Sayaka’s coattails was supposedly my destiny. Being in her shadow was what gave me my dream. Perhaps one day the world would see me for who I really am. For now, I am Jun’ichi Maizono, the supposed nephew to Sayaka Maizono. 

 


	3. Idol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jun'ichi Maizono is taking Natsumi on a tour of his idol agency.

Jun’ichi knew the life of an idol wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It didn’t matter how hard someone worked to live the idol lifestyle. Popularity didn’t matter to agencies. If an idol made one mistake, it could ruin their career. 

 

The female idols have it worse, Jun’ichi thought. Their male fans were creeps, the men who ran the agencies were creeps, and everyone stood around acting ignorant of what would go on. Jun’ichi wasn’t immune to creepy behavior. He wondered if his agency would have kept him a 17-year-old boy for years if not the contract for him to voice act in an adult drama CD the minute he turned 18. He didn’t want to do the CD, but that was the life of an idol. There were many things he and other stars didn’t want to do, yet had to in order to keep their jobs. 

 

Juni’chi sat on a bench in the subway station. As he waited for someone to arrive, he thought about the things Makoto Naegi said about his distant relative, Sayaka Maizono. Makoto told Jun’ichi about how Sayaka worked hard to earn her fame. She put up with the consistent rehearsals and vocal training. She started from the bottom, and worked her way up. Jun’ichi wished Sayaka were still alive so he could ask her how she did it, and why she’d put herself under so much pressure. 

 

He loved acting, singing, and dancing. Yet, he felt something was wrong. Why did he continue such a stress-inducing life?

 

His eyes lit up when he saw a girl exit the subway. His frown turned into a soft smile as he saw Natsumi Kuzuryuu make a mad dash towards him in glee. Perhaps the reason why he kept up with the idol life was because he loved seeing his fans smile. Natsumi’s smile was especially cute when she showed her sharp teeth. 

 

Jun’ichi knew Natsumi wanted to be like him, an idol. He hadn’t a chance yet to see how her singing was, or acting, or anything that really made her an idol. She was short and cute, so he knew the agency would consider her. Her blonde hair was something many fans would die to have. 

 

The point of today’s meeting, of course, was to give her a tour of his agency. Perhaps along the way, they’d meet with Jun’ichi agent, and he could give a good word in to jumpstart her career. He said his hellos to Natsumi before he started leading her to the building that could possibly change her life. The lingering thought of what Natsumi would be forced to do was kept in the back of his head. All idols had to go through with doing “bad things.” It was just how the career worked. Hard work was never enough.

 

“So what’s the best part of being famous?” Natsumi asked. 

 

Jun’ichi snapped out of his daze. “The best thing? I would say being able to see the smiling faces of each and every fan.”

 

“I can’t wait until I have fans! It’s amazing to think of a crowded auditorium of people screaming my name and saying they love me!”

 

Jun’ichi hesitated. “You know...not every fan will be as nice as you are. Some get...handsy.”

 

Natsumi shook her head. “It’s okay, my parents taught me how to kick ass!”

 

“You should...clean up your speech. It’s generally frowned upon for idols to talk dirty like that.”

 

“Okay, well...erm...what’s the worst thing about being an idol?”

 

Once again, Jun’ichi hesitated. Did he really want to scare this girl off from her dreams? Almost everything was the worst thing about being an idol. Plus with Natsumi being a girl, she was already at a disadvantage. Jun’ichi thought about the girls assaulted by fans. “Uh, practicing all the time,” he lied.

 

Natsumi smirked. “I already practice a ton so that’s no problem for me!”

 

It hurt Jun’ichi a little when he realized how naive Natsumi really was. The way her face lit up, the way she had a skip in her step, and her consistent questions reminded him of a younger version of himself. Jun’ichi wondered if it was a good idea to show Natsumi the agency. He didn’t know if he should bring another girl into this hell of a life. Yet he continued walking. Everybody had to go through what he and others did to become idols. Whatever would happen to Natsumi wasn’t going to be his fault.    
  


Natsumi was starstruck when she and Jun’ichi faced the entrance of the agency. Jun’ichi watched as Natsumi straightened her skirt and flipped her hair back in place. She reached for a compact in her purse to make sure her makeup was still perfect. Jun’ichi had already been eyeing Natsumi’s body the entire time. She was cute and short, the perfect height for an idol. However there were some changes Jun’ichi knew his manager would want done to her. 

 

“Well, let’s go in,” suggested Jun’ichi.

 

Jun’ichi’s mind was clouded during their tour of the building. He had done this tour with other possible idols in the past. The tour was always the same. He would show her around the places he had access to, teach her about what being an idol is like, and at some point in time they’d bump into his agent. Jun’ichi felt a lump in his throat. There was something inside him that made him wish they didn’t bump into his agent. He had this impulse to grab Natsumi by the hand and run out the building. He watched as Natsumi had the time of her life.

 

The lump in his throat expanded when the duo ran into Jun’ichi’s agent. He looked like a man who wouldn’t harm a fly, yet Jun’ichi knew the facade underneath his glasses. Natsumi didn’t notice he was sizing her up, trying to figure out what kind of flaws in her he could exploit. Jun’ichi put his hands in his pockets to prevent any visible shaking. 

 

“You must be the girl Maizono told me about,” said the agent. “You look like such a sweet, spunky girl.”

 

Natsumi rapidly nodded her head. “Yeah! I’ll be the spunkiest, sweetest idol you’ve ever had! I’m ready to get to work right away!” 

 

“I see.” The agent lifted his head up. “Maizono didn’t tell me your name. What was it, sweetheart?”

 

“Erm,” hesitated Natsumi. Jun’ichi knew she was scared of revealing her last name. Her family name brought despair to so many people around the country. Jun’ichi nudged Natsumi’s arm. He knew she had a stage name ready. That nudge was a small reminder that she could use that name. “It’s Ichigo.”

 

“Ichigo, hm? Ah, a stage name!” exclaimed the agent. “You’ve really been planning to be an idol for a while now, haven’t you? Ichigo is a great stage name. I’m sure you’ll rack up thousands of fans with your name alone. Now how about your singing?”

 

“I’ve been taking lessons!” Natsumi said. “H-here, I’ll show you right now!” Natsumi opened her mouth, only to be cut off by Jun’ichi’s agent.

 

“Not here, sweetheart. The acoustics are horrible here. How about we go to my office and you can have a private audition for me?”

 

Jun’ichi began feeling butterflies in his stomach. This was the next step in his agent’s plan. He’d always ask the girls for a private audition. Jun’ichi didn’t know why he was upset that his agent would yet again do something so vile and lecherous; he did this all the time. There was something about Natsumi, whether it be her smile, the gleam in her eyes, the innocence of the idol industry, or something else that he didn’t want to go away.

 

Jun’ichi grabbed Natsumi by the wrist, and pulled her behind him. “You’re not taking her anywhere,” hissed Jun’ichi. “I’m putting a stop to this right now.”

 

Jun’ichi’s agent raised his eyebrows. “Maizono, why would you prevent Miss Ichigo from achieving her dreams?”

 

“Because, because I’m tired of you taking advantage of all the girls that come here.”

 

“Even if you’re the one who brings me the girls?”

 

Jun’ichi gulped. If he backed down now, perhaps he could keep his job. “I regret my choices. I regret ever signing on to this agency. You’re a disgusting human being. I refuse to give Ichigo over to you.” 

 

The agent looked towards Natsumi, who had no idea what was going on. “Ichigo, sweetheart, you want to be an idol, yes? I’m the best you’ve got. I can make your name known throughout the country. Maizono is just jealous that you’ll be better than he ever will be.”

 

Jun’ichi bit his lip. “You manipulative bastard.”

 

“Watch your mouth, Jun’ichi. What if your adoring fans heard you talk like that?”

  
Jun’ichi lowered his head. “We’re leaving. You can’t have her.”

 

“Leave and you’ll never work for this agency again.”

 

Jun’ichi’s entire body began to shake. He couldn’t believe his job was threatened all for the refusal of letting him be alone with a girl. The idol industry was vile, yet Jun’ichi didn’t want to ruin his life. If he stepped out, he’d be done for. He knew his agent would tell some lie to other agencies on why he shouldn’t be taken by them. If he stopped being an idol, he’d be miserable, and yet being an idol was miserable. 

 

Was the life of a normal teenager really that bad?

 

“...Ichigo, come with me,” said Jun’ichi. “You need to know the truth.”

 

“Ichigo, stay here and I’ll sign you on. You’ll replace Jun’ichi. However if you choose to go with him, I’ll make sure you never become an idol.”

 

Natsumi backed behind Jun’ichi. Jun’ichi looked back at her to see she was fighting tears. Jun’ichi released his grip on Natsumi’s wrist. “It’s your decision,” he said to her. “I’m done here.”

 

As Jun’ichi sat on a bench outside the agency, he tried fighting back his own tears. He thought to himself on how he should have stopped his ex-agent long ago. He lowered his head in despair. He lost his job over a girl he barely knew. He’d never work as an idol again. He regretted letting Natsumi stay in that building. He should have dragged her out. By now that disgusting excuse of a man was probably telling her she needed to lose weight, and would need implants to make her chest bigger. It wouldn’t be long before he started getting his hands on Natsumi, and telling her whatever he was going to do was part of the industry. Jun’ichi brought his hands to his head. His ex-agent had done this dozens of times with girls, yet Jun’ichi never did anything to stop him. Now, Natsumi would just become another victim. 

 

“Um...Maizono?” Jun’ichi looked up and saw Natsumi standing in front of him. Her clothes and hair were still tidy, and she wasn’t crying as much as he expected her to be. 

 

“What are you doing here?” asked Jun’ichi.

 

“I...I said no to him. I ran out of there as fast as I could. If he had caught me I would have tried to kick him in the balls.”

 

Jun’ichi cracked a small smile. “He would have deserved it.”

 

“I think...he wanted me to do bad things,” admitted Natsumi. “I heard of agents like him, and that’s not how I want to become famous. If I have to do everything on my own, that’s what I’ll do.”

 

“On your own?”

 

Natsumi nodded. “Yep. I’m going to be an independent idol! I don’t need an agency for me to become famous!”

 

Jun’ichi’s smile grew. “You really are persistent, aren’t you? Heh, you’re actually rather inspiring with that attitude.” Jun’ichi lifted his head and stood up next to Natsumi. “Alright, my career isn’t over! I’ll be an independent idol too!”


End file.
